Snow covers a local historic church. (Photo by Dannah Nielsen)
Do you fancy yourself a small town travele4r? A little over ten years ago we had a rare opportunity to live in a small town that was well-unknown for being that place everyone drove past to get to where they were going. Population sub-600, the roads were all ours to explore and the lessons it came with gave us a whole new and unexpected education in streetwise. Furthermore, it piqued our interest in a different kind of travel: the small-town vacation. Recently visiting the tiny town of Dutch Flat, was a refresher course on all that we had learned about these flyby towns- in this case, Dutch Flat is situated just a mile off the I-80 freeway to Reno, hidden in the outskirts of Tahoe National Forest, but with gems on full display. For those unfamiliar, here are the cliff notes version for small town vacationing-
Lesson 1: Everyone is famous. This includes custom drinks in one’s honor, a designated seat with name engraved, sometimes a historic home with generations of ancestors cemented in the framework. In Dutch Flat this is no different. Most of the residents have called it home for decades and can quickly recount the timelines of everybody’s history. We lucked out on our visit and the Dutch Flat Hotel proprietor was on hand to give us a walking tour, highlighting such celebrity stories to confirm this lesson.
Lesson 2: There is always an unofficial designated community hub where FaceTime has a completely different meaning. What small towns lack in expansive economies they make up for with the hot commodity of social hours, something you must seek out and enjoy when small town vacationing. The Dutch Flat Hotel acquired this title (maybe held this title many times in its century of existence) with its more recent revival, and as such their restaurant is never quiet. Despite being “out of towners,” more than a handful of locals went out their way to greet us, shake hands, ask our story, share theirs and offer words of wisdom as we mingled in the parlor.
White homes and picket fences welcome Autumn. (Photo by Dannah Nielsen)
Lesson 3: most often an impromptu California history lesson is built in, and this tiny town is shined with gold rush facts. Its Main Street is a living museum (and includes an actual museum) with thoughtfully created plaques dotting both sides of the one lane road- markers that share the significance of every plot of land. In many cases, historical buildings still stand in their original state and are adorned with preserved relics but in others it’s clear nature has taken back over. Guests can freely crisscross uninterrupted to get a closer look at these details, as passing cars is a rare occurrence.
Lesson 4: The outdoor experience is likely unmatched. While bigger and more popular areas are heavily trodden on and crowded, the region around Dutch Flat has quiet paths, rivers, and lakes mostly untouched since the Gold Rush era itself. We opted to hike the nearby Euchre Bar Trail down to the North Fork of the American and wound up having the entire river, bridge, rope swing and trail to ourselves. If a workout hike isn’t on your list of must-do’s, the Dutch Flat Hotel provides private access to a nearby lake for strolling and kayaking, which brings us to our other note on this lesson: this town wears each season beautifully. We’ve been here when it’s covered in snow, when it’s a summer heat wave, when all the homes are dressed out in blooming spring flowers and now when the changing leaves turn the roads into rainbows. To add to its uniqueness, many of the homes and buildings here are painted a pristine white- allowing the foliage all around to pop even more. It’s that elusive and rare instance of someone never taking a bad picture.
The crème de la crème to our small-town vacation was our stay at the Dutch Flat Hotel. A 3 story, rooms & cabins town jewel, it hit the mark on all aspects: charm, luxury, ambiance, friendliness and meal service. It was evident the staff here enjoy what they do and are proud of their community. If you get lucky like we did, you could also score a guided tour of everything all around.
The rooms and cabins are meticulously decorated, mixing vintage with modern seemingly effortlessly. After walking the town we settled in for dinner and drinks and it was refreshing to see the menu strayed from typical diner foods, and offered an eclectic but still familiar line up- a subtle perk to the feeling of being on a unique adventure.
Some final notes on small town vacationing: if you opt for this type of getaway, of course there are surrounding communities that offer their own attractions and it’s worth a leisurely drive to spectate the characters and curiosities that are sprinkled in with nearby Alta, Gold Run and Colfax- Colfax being the more bustling town sitting right along the freeway. There are also so many more trails, water access and ski slopes to explore in the greater Sierra Nevada Mountain range, a very well known and researched fact, so if that is your vibe we can attest that this small town vacation also pairs well with many local recreational adventures- all that is needed is to finally pull over and stay awhile.
To visit & stay at the Dutch Flat Hotel, check out www.thedutchflathotel.com
To explore the region, visit www.visitplacer.com
For more ideas exploring California, follow @Ca.love.fornia on Instagram